161 F.

3d 1290
14 IER Cases 1059, 12 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. C 293

Luz GONZALEZ, Plaintiff-Appellee,

v.
LEE COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY, Defendant,
Patricia Moran, individually and in her official capacity as
Executive Director of the Lee County Housing
Authority, Defendant-Appellant.
No. 97-2952.

United States Court of Appeals,

Eleventh Circuit.
Dec. 2, 1998.

Gregory W. Hootman, Sarasota, FL, for Defendant-Appellant.

Christine Elizabeth Larson, Florida Rural Legal Services, Cathy L.
Lucrezi, Fort Myers, FL, for Plaintiff-Appellee.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle District of
Florida.
Before HATCHETT, Chief Judge, BLACK, Circuit Judge, and
KRAVITCH, Senior Circuit Judge.
KRAVITCH, Senior Circuit Judge:

After being fired from her job at the Lee County Housing Authority ("LCHA"),
Luz Gonzalez ("Gonzalez") brought suit against the LCHA and against Patricia
Moran ("Moran"), the LCHA Executive Director, in her individual and official
capacities, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 1983 and 42 U.S.C. 3617, a provision of
the Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. 3601-3619, 3631. Moran moved for
summary judgment in her individual capacity on the basis of qualified
immunity. The district court denied this motion, and Moran filed an
interlocutory appeal.1

We reverse the district court's judgment as to Gonzalez's First Amendment

claim brought under 42 U.S.C. 1983. Even viewing the evidence in the light
most favorable to Gonzalez, a reasonable person in Moran's position would not
have known that Gonzalez's letter of September 28, 1995, constituted speech on
a matter of public concern. See infra Part III. On the other hand, we affirm the
district court's judgment as to Gonzalez's claim brought under 42 U.S.C.
3617. Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to Gonzalez, a
reasonable person in Moran's position would have known that her termination
of Gonzalez's employment was unlawful. See infra Part IV.

I.
3

The record, for purposes of summary judgment, reveals the following:

Gonzalez worked for the LCHA from October 1993 to October 1995. She
began as an Administrative Clerk and assumed the position of Property
Manager in May 1995. Her duties as Property Manager included overseeing the
day-to-day operations of the Low Income Housing Program and the Rural
Community Economic Development Rural Housing Program. At all times, she
worked under Moran.

According to Gonzalez, Moran directed her to engage in certain actions that, in

Gonzalez's view, violated the anti-discrimination laws that apply to public
housing programs.2 For example, Moran complained when Gonzalez attempted
to place a white woman with a black child in a vacant apartment, and Moran
told Gonzalez that she did not want a black person placed in a vacant elderly
housing unit. 3 Moran's efforts to force Gonzalez to discriminate were a central
cause of the arguments that arose between Gonzalez and Moran.4 Finally,
during August and September 1995, Gonzalez "confront[ed]" Moran about the
fact that Moran wanted Gonzalez to take certain actions that violated the rules
and regulations of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
("HUD").5 These confrontations concerned, inter alia, Moran's desire to
discriminate against specific potential tenants: two white women with black
children and an elderly black man.6

On September 20, 1995, Moran called Gonzalez into Moran's office and
criticized Gonzalez for failing to fill apartment vacancies at the LCHA during
the prior two months.7 An argument ensued, in which Gonzalez raised her
voice.8 On September 21, Moran presented Gonzalez with a letter that stated in
part: "This is to advise you that under no circumstance will I ever again tolerate
your violent outburst of yesterday.... [I]f anything like that occurs again you
will be terminated immediately."9 Gonzalez refused to sign the letter.

According to Gonzalez's complaint, Gonzalez called a member of the LCHA

Board of Commissioners (the "LCHA Board") on September 27 to complain
about, inter alia, discriminatory rental practices at the LCHA.10 On the same
day, Gonzalez phoned an employee at the HUD office in Jacksonville, Florida,
to lodge the same complaint.11 Gonzalez also called the Chairman of the LCHA
Board, James Puccio ("Puccio"), to report the alleged discrimination.12
Gonzalez does not claim that Moran knew about these phone calls.

On September 28, Gonzalez wrote Moran a four-page letter, reproduced as

Appendix A, infra. In the letter, Gonzalez complained about various aspects of
Moran's management, including Moran's discriminatory directives, and stated
that Moran's efforts to force Gonzalez to discriminate were a central cause of
the arguments between them.13

On October 2, Moran fired Gonzalez. In the termination letter given to

Gonzalez, Moran stated that Gonzalez had exhibited "offensive or antagonistic
conduct toward superiors, fellow employees, or the public; criticism of orders,
rules and policies, or conduct interfering with proper cooperation of employees,
or which impairs the efficiency of the Authority."14

On October 4, according to Gonzalez's affidavit testimony, she and other

LCHA employees met with Puccio to discuss "problems [they] saw at the
housing authority and with the practices of Ms. Moran."15 On October 9,
Gonzalez sent a letter to Puccio in which she requested that the LCHA Board
review her termination.16 The LCHA Board did not reverse Moran's decision.

10

Gonzalez then filed suit against the LCHA and against Moran in her official
and individual capacities. Gonzalez claimed that Moran, in her individual
capacity, violated: (1) Gonzalez's First Amendment rights by terminating
Gonzalez's employment in retaliation for her "objections and complaints about
the operations of the Defendants," giving rise to a claim under 42 U.S.C.
1983;17 and (2) 42 U.S.C. 3617 by terminating Gonzalez's employment in
retaliation for her "complaints and refusal to participate in the discriminatory
rental practices of the Defendants."18 Moran moved for summary judgment in
her individual capacity on both claims. The district court, without elaboration,
ruled that "issues of material fact" precluded the court from granting summary
judgment in Moran's favor.19 Moran appeals the district court's denial of that
motion.

II.
A.

11

This court lacks interlocutory jurisdiction to review a district court's denial of

summary judgment where the moving party appeals based solely on the
argument that the district court erred in evaluating evidentiary sufficiency. See
Cottrell v. Caldwell, 85 F.3d 1480, 1484 (11th Cir.1996) (citing Johnson v.
Jones, 515 U.S. 304, 313, 115 S.Ct. 2151, 2156, 132 L.Ed.2d 238 (1995)). We
do have interlocutory jurisdiction to review the denial of summary judgment in
qualified immunity cases, however, where our review requires a determination
of the clearly established law that existed at the time of the allegedly unlawful
acts. See Cottrell, 85 F.3d at 1484 (citing Mitchell v. Forsyth, 472 U.S. 511,
528, 105 S.Ct. 2806, 2816, 86 L.Ed.2d 411 (1985)). In the latter case, we have
jurisdiction even if the district court, as it did here, simply ruled that "issues of
material fact" precluded summary judgment. See Cottrell, 85 F.3d at 1484-85
(citing Behrens v. Pelletier, 516 U.S. 299, 304, 116 S.Ct. 834, 838, 133 L.Ed.2d
773 (1996)).

B.
12

We review de novo the district court's denial of a defendant's summary

judgment motion that is based on the affirmative defense of qualified immunity.
See Walker v. Schwalbe, 112 F.3d 1127, 1130 (11th Cir.1997), cert. denied, --U.S. ----, 118 S.Ct. 1794, 140 L.Ed.2d 935 (1998). In exercising interlocutory
jurisdiction in such cases, we have the discretion to accept the district court's
findings of fact, if they are adequate. See Cottrell, 85 F.3d 1480, 1486. Where,
as here, the district court has made no specific findings of fact, we must make
such findings ourselves after full review of the record.

13

A party seeking summary judgment must demonstrate that "there is no genuine

issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment
as a matter of law." Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(c). The moving party bears the initial
burden of informing the court of the basis for its motion and of identifying
those materials that demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of material fact.
See Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552-53, 91
L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). When the non-moving party bears the burden of proof on
an issue at trial, the moving party need not "support its motion with affidavits
or other similar material negating the opponent's claim," id. at 323, 106 S.Ct. at
2553, in order to discharge this initial responsibility. Instead, the moving party
simply may " 'show[ ]'--that is, point[ ] out to the district court--that there is an
absence of evidence to support the nonmoving party's case." Id. at 325, 106
S.Ct. at 2554 (quoting Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 159, 90
S.Ct. 1598, 1609, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970)).

14

In response to a properly supported motion for summary judgment, "an adverse

14

party may not rest upon the mere allegations or denials of the adverse party's
pleadings, but ... must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine
issue for trial." Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e). If the non-moving party fails to "make a
sufficient showing on an essential element of her case with respect to which she
has the burden of proof," then the court must enter summary judgment for the
moving party. See Celotex, 477 U.S. at 323, 106 S.Ct. at 2552. In determining
whether genuine issues of material fact exist, we resolve all ambiguities and
draw all justifiable inferences in favor of the non-moving party. See Anderson
v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 255, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2513, 91 L.Ed.2d
202 (1986).

C.
15

In analyzing a defense of qualified immunity, we first consider whether "the

defendant government official [has proved] that he was acting within the scope
of his discretionary authority when the alleged wrongful act occurred." Evans
v. Hightower, 117 F.3d 1318, 1320 (11th Cir.1997). If the defendant has met
this burden, "the plaintiff must then demonstrate that the defendant violated
clearly established law based upon objective standards." Id. Because it is
undisputed that Moran was acting within the scope of her discretionary
authority when she fired Gonzalez, we consider only the second part of the
qualified immunity analysis in our resolution of Gonzalez's claims under 42
U.S.C. 1983 and 3617.

16

This circuit has established stringent standards for a plaintiff seeking to

overcome the affirmative defense of qualified immunity asserted by a
government official in an individual capacity. "Qualified immunity protects
government officials performing discretionary functions from civil trials (and
the other burdens of litigation, including discovery) and from liability if their
conduct violates no 'clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of
which a reasonable person would have known.' " Lassiter v. Alabama A & M
Univ., Bd. of Trustees, 28 F.3d 1146, 1149 (11th Cir.1994) (en banc) (quoting
Harlow v. Fitzgerald, 457 U.S. 800, 818, 102 S.Ct. 2727, 2738, 73 L.Ed.2d 396
(1982)). "For the law to be clearly established to the point that qualified
immunity does not apply, the law must have earlier been developed in such a
concrete and factually defined context to make it obvious to all reasonable
government actors, in the defendant's place, that 'what he is doing' violates
federal law." Lassiter, 28 F.3d at 1149 (quoting Anderson v. Creighton, 483
U.S. 635, 640, 107 S.Ct. 3034, 3039, 97 L.Ed.2d 523 (1987)). "For qualified
immunity to be surrendered, pre-existing law must dictate, that is, truly compel
(not just suggest or allow or raise a question about), the conclusion for every
like-situated, reasonable government agent that what defendant is doing

violates federal law in the circumstances." Jenkins by Hall v. Talladega City

Bd. of Educ., 115 F.3d 821, 823 (11th Cir.) (en banc) (quoting Lassiter, 28 F.3d
at 1150), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 118 S.Ct. 412, 139 L.Ed.2d 315 (1997).
III.
17

Moran is entitled to summary judgment in her individual capacity on

Gonzalez's section 1983 claim only if Moran's conduct did not violate clearly
established First Amendment rights of which a reasonable government official
in Moran's position would have been aware. Because resolution of this question
requires us to determine the contours of clearly established law, we have
interlocutory jurisdiction to review the district court's denial of summary
judgment. See Cottrell v. Caldwell, 85 F.3d 1480, 1484 (11th Cir.1996).

18

A public employee must satisfy four conditions in order to prevail in a section

1983 action alleging that she was fired in retaliation for constitutionally
protected speech. See Bryson v. City of Waycross, 888 F.2d 1562, 1565 (11th
Cir.1989). First, the employee must demonstrate that the speech allegedly
resulting in her termination can "be fairly characterized as constituting speech
on a matter of public concern...." Connick v. Myers, 461 U.S. 138, 146, 103
S.Ct. 1684, 1690, 75 L.Ed.2d 708 (1983), cited in Bryson, 888 F.2d at 1565.20
Second, the employee must show that her First Amendment interests outweigh
"the interest of the State, as an employer, in promoting the efficiency of the
public services it performs through its employees." Pickering v. Board of Educ.
of Township High Sch. Dist. 205, 391 U.S. 563, 568, 88 S.Ct. 1731, 1734-35,
20 L.Ed.2d 811 (1968), cited in Bryson, 888 F.2d at 1565. If these two
prerequisites are satisfied, then the employee must prove that her speech played
a "substantial part" in the employer's termination decision. See Mt. Healthy
City Sch. Dist. Bd. of Educ. v. Doyle, 429 U.S. 274, 287, 97 S.Ct. 568, 576, 50
L.Ed.2d 471 (1977), cited in Bryson, 888 F.2d at 1565-66. Finally, the
employee must rebut successfully any attempt by the employer to demonstrate
that "it would have reached the same decision ... even in the absence of the
protected conduct." Mt. Healthy, 429 U.S. at 287, 97 S.Ct. at 576, cited in
Bryson, 888 F.2d at 1566.

19

At the outset, we note that our review of Gonzalez's section 1983 claim
concerns solely Gonzalez's letter to Moran on September 28. Although
evidence indicates that Gonzalez and Moran previously argued about
compliance with discrimination rules, see infra Part IV.B.2, we are unable to
perform a Pickering review of Gonzalez's speech on those occasions because
the record does not disclose the "manner, time, and place" of Gonzalez's
statements. See Connick, 461 U.S. at 150-55, 103 S.Ct. at 1692-93 (describing

elements of Pickering balancing test). Accordingly, we pretermit our review of

that speech and leave this question for the district court.21
20

In reviewing Gonzalez's letter of September 28, the threshold question is

whether the letter can "be fairly characterized as constituting speech on a
matter of public concern...." Connick, 461 U.S. at 146, 103 S.Ct. at 1690.
According to Moran, the letter does not satisfy the public concern requirement
because Gonzalez did not distribute her letter publicly and because Gonzalez
has not shown that her letter addressed specific matters that already had drawn
significant public attention. In Connick, however, the Supreme Court held that
the public concern requirement was satisfied where a government employee
spoke about an important matter of public interest, even though the employee
spoke only within the workplace and even though the specific matter addressed
had not drawn significant public attention prior to her speech. See id. at 149,
103 S.Ct. at 1691. 22

21

In order to determine whether the letter satisfies the public concern

requirement, we must analyze its "content, form, and context ... as revealed by
the whole record," Connick, 461 U.S. at 147-48, 103 S.Ct. at 1690, and
evaluate whether Gonzalez's purpose was "to raise issues of public concern, on
the one hand, or to further her own private interest, on the other," Morgan v.
Ford, 6 F.3d 750, 754 (11th Cir.1993). This question is one of law, not of fact.
See Connick, 461 U.S. at 148 n. 7, 103 S.Ct. at 1690 n. 7. If it is unclear
whether the letter satisfies the public concern requirement, then Moran is
entitled to qualified immunity on Gonzalez's section 1983 claim because
Moran's actions did not violate Gonzalez's clearly established First Amendment
rights. See Badia v. City of Miami, 133 F.3d 1443, 1445 (11th Cir.1998) (per
curiam).

22

In large part, the letter simply blames Moran for creating a poor working
atmosphere at the LCHA.23 We thus conclude that much of the letter does not
touch upon matters of public concern. See Connick, 461 U.S. at 148-49, 103
S.Ct. at 1690-91 (stating that most of the elements of an employee's
questionnaire were "mere extensions of [her] dispute over her transfer" and
holding that "the First Amendment does not require a public office to be run as
a roundtable for employee complaints over internal office affairs").

23

We must evaluate every element of the letter, however, in order to determine

whether Gonzalez has satisfied the public concern requirement. See Connick,
461 U.S. at 149, 103 S.Ct. at 1691 (holding that one question in an employee's
questionnaire constituted speech on a matter of public concern). In particular,
Gonzalez's accusations about Moran's discriminatory behavior merit scrutiny.

The letter, unedited, states in part:

24 I have learned from this place is to agravate myself day after they, because of the
All
things that I see and hear.
I25never know who you will want me to house even if they are next on the waiting
list. If it's a white girl with a black baby, you complain, if we have a vacancie on the
lederly site, you do not want me to put a black person on that site, if the client has
HIV, you complain, if it's a white that has not been in the job for too long, you do
not want me to house them, because it will become a negative rent.
26you remember, that the times that you and me had argue is because you had
If
forced me to discriminate or rip-off people.... 24
27

It is unclear whether this portion of the letter can "be fairly characterized as
constituting speech on a matter of public concern...." Connick, 461 U.S. at 146,
103 S.Ct. at 1690. On the one hand, a public official's authorization of
discriminatory rental practices unquestionably is an important matter of general
public interest. See, e.g., 42 U.S.C. 3601 ("It is the policy of the United States
to provide ... for fair housing throughout the United States."); cf. Connick, 461
U.S. at 149, 103 S.Ct. at 1691 (holding that the pressuring of public employees
to work in political campaigns is a matter of public concern). Moreover, a
public employee's statement may satisfy the public concern requirement even
where, as here, the employee speaks within the workplace, after an adverse
employment decision, about a specific matter that had not drawn significant
public attention prior to her speech. See Connick, 461 U.S. at 149, 103 S.Ct. at
1691.

28

On the other hand, three unrebutted facts suggest that Gonzalez's purpose in
writing this part of the letter was to blame Moran for Gonzalez's dissatisfaction
with the stressful conditions of her own employment. First, this portion of the
letter does not specifically address the legal rights of the potential tenants, but
rather concerns (a) Gonzalez's own aggravation and confusion, (b) Moran's
complaints to Gonzalez, and (c) the arguments between Moran and Gonzalez.25
Second, the letter as a whole focuses on Gonzalez's theory that Moran, by
breaking rules, was harming the office environment.26 Third, Gonzalez's
"complaints ... were in large measure conveyed in light of a reprimand, still
fresh, which appellant believed unfairly attributed responsibility to her...."
Pearson v. Macon-Bibb County Hosp. Auth., 952 F.2d 1274, 1278 (11th
Cir.1992).27 Viewed in combination, these facts indicate that Gonzalez, even
though she was involved in a continuing battle with Moran over Moran's
discriminatory directives, see infra Part IV, wrote this portion of the letter in
order to "further her own private interest," rather than "to raise issues of public

concern," Morgan, 6 F.3d at 754; see Ferrara v. Mills, 781 F.2d 1508, 1515-16
(11th Cir.1986) (holding that the public concern requirement was not satisfied
where the teacher's speech was based on the teacher's personal concerns that
collegiate registration contributed to his inability to enforce discipline).
29

Because housing discrimination by a public housing authority is an issue of

significant public importance, a public official ordinarily would know that an
employee's statement addressing this issue constitutes speech on a matter of
public concern. See Kurtz v. Vickrey, 855 F.2d 723, 727 (11th Cir.1988)
(stating that the content of the speech is an important factor in the public
concern analysis). Due to the unique confluence of facts in this case, however,
we hold that the evidence, even viewed in the light most favorable to Gonzalez,
would not have compelled a reasonable official in Moran's position to believe
that Gonzalez's letter constituted speech on a matter of public concern. See
Badia, 133 F.3d at 1445; see also Jenkins by Hall v. Talladega City Bd. of
Educ., 115 F.3d 821, 823 (11th Cir.) (en banc), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 118
S.Ct. 412, 139 L.Ed.2d 315 (1997). We therefore hold that Moran is entitled to
qualified immunity on Gonzalez's section 1983 claim, and we reverse the
district court's denial of summary judgment to Moran in her individual capacity
on this claim.

IV.
30

Gonzalez also claims that Moran violated 42 U.S.C. 3617, a provision of the
Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. 3601-3619, 3631, by terminating Gonzalez's
employment "in retaliation of her complaints and refusal to participate in the
discriminatory rental practices of the Defendants."28 According to section 3617,
it is unlawful to

31
coerce,
intimidate, threaten, or interfere with any person in the exercise or enjoyment
of, or on account of his having exercised or enjoyed, or on account of his having
aided or encouraged any other person in the exercise or enjoyment of, any right
granted or protected by section 3603, 3604, 3605, or 3606 of this title.
32

Section 3604 proscribes, inter alia, racial discrimination in the rental of

housing. See 42 U.S.C. 3604(b).

A.
33

Moran contends that she is entitled to qualified immunity on Gonzalez's section

3617 claim. It is a matter of first impression for this court whether a public
official sued in her individual capacity under section 3617 may assert the

defense of qualified immunity. We conclude that the qualified immunity

defense is available in such cases.
34

In resolving this question, we rely on the Supreme Court's qualified immunity

jurisprudence relating to 42 U.S.C. 1983.29 In Scheuer v. Rhodes, 416 U.S.
232, 94 S.Ct. 1683, 40 L.Ed.2d 90 (1974), the Supreme Court held that state
executive-branch officials may assert a qualified immunity defense when sued
in their individual capacities under section 1983 for deprivations of federal
rights under color of state law. See id. at 247, 94 S.Ct. at 1692 (stating that "in
varying scope, a qualified immunity is available to officers of the executive
branch of government...."). The Scheuer Court reasoned that executive officials
under common law enjoyed a qualified immunity from civil damage actions
and that Congress did not intend to abolish this immunity when it enacted
section 1 of the Civil Rights Act of 1871, 17 Stat. 13, now codified at 42 U.S.C.
1983. See 416 U.S. at 239-48, 94 S.Ct. at 1688-92. The Court also relied on
the importance of according immunity to executive officials' actions. See id. at
245-47, 94 S.Ct. at 1691-92.30

35

Applying the reasoning of Scheuer, we hold that Moran is entitled to assert the
defense of qualified immunity in this section 3617 action. Neither the text31 nor
the legislative history32 of section 3617 indicates that Congress intended to
abrogate the qualified immunity to which executive-branch officials were
entitled under common law. Because of this fact and in light of the importance
of protecting officials' decision-making capacity,33 we conclude that executivebranch officials sued in their individual capacities under section 3617 may
assert the defense of qualified immunity.

36

In reaching this conclusion, we follow the only other court of appeals that has
considered the matter. See Samaritan Inns, Inc. v. District of Columbia, 114
F.3d 1227, 1238-39 (D.C.Cir.1997) (allowing public officials sued in their
individual capacities under section 3617 to plead the affirmative defense of
qualified immunity); see also Baggett v. Baird, No. Civ.A.4:94CV0282-HLM
(N.D.Ga. Feb. 18, 1997 unpublished opinion) (granting summary judgment on
the basis of qualified immunity in a section 3617 action). Our holding also is
consistent with various decisions in which this court and others have held that
public officials are entitled to assert the defense of qualified immunity when
sued under a federal statute other than section 1983.34 Furthermore, we do not
believe that Burrell v. Board of Trustees of Ga. Military College, 970 F.2d 785
(11th Cir.1992), counsels a contrary conclusion.35B.

37

Having determined that Moran may assert a qualified immunity defense against
Gonzalez's section 3617 claim, we must ascertain whether, viewing the

evidence in the light most favorable to Gonzalez, a reasonable person in

Moran's position would have known that her actions violated rights clearly
established under section 3617. See Harlow v. Fitzgerald, 457 U.S. 800, 818,
102 S.Ct. 2727, 2738, 73 L.Ed.2d 396 (1982). Because we must determine the
contours of clearly established law, we have interlocutory jurisdiction to review
the district court's denial of summary judgment on this claim. See Cottrell v.
Caldwell, 85 F.3d 1480, 1484 (11th Cir.1996). Our inquiry involves two stages.
First, we determine what a reasonable government official, in Moran's position,
would have believed to be the clearly established law in 1995. See infra Part
IV.B.1. Second, we evaluate whether the evidence, viewed in the light most
favorable to Gonzalez, indicates that Moran should have known that her
termination of Gonzalez violated clearly established law. See infra Part IV.B.2.
1.
38

To determine what a reasonable government official, in Moran's position,

would have believed the Fair Housing Act permitted when she terminated
Gonzalez, we look to the law as it stood in 1995. Although Gonzalez has not
proffered any applicable, previously decided cases that clearly established that
Moran's alleged conduct violated the Fair Housing Act, our review of the
statutory provisions and the applicable regulation lead us to conclude that no
public official, in Moran's position, could reasonably have believed that federal
law permitted her to fire an employee for refusing to discriminate against
tenants on the basis of race. Accordingly, we affirm the district court's decision
that Moran was not immune from suit.

39

Ordinarily, a plaintiff who seeks to overcome a state official's affirmative

defense of qualified immunity must cite case law, in force at the time of the
defendant's actions, that would have made it absolutely clear that the
defendant's conduct violated federal law. There is no case from the U.S.
Supreme Court, this Circuit, or the relevant state Supreme Court, that would
have established that a person violates section 3617 by firing an employee for
refusing to discriminate against potential tenants on the basis of race. Cf.
Jenkins by Hall v. Talladega City Bd. of Educ., 115 F.3d 821, 826 n. 4 (11th
Cir.) (en banc), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 118 S.Ct. 412, 139 L.Ed.2d 315
(1997) (explaining that decisions from only these courts clearly establish the
law for the purposes of qualified immunity). The absence of such a case is not
fatal to Gonzalez's claim, however, because this case differs from the typical
qualified immunity case in which the plaintiff sues a public official pursuant to
42 U.S.C. 1983 and asserts the violation of some (often generally worded)
constitutional right. Although the assertion of such broadly conceived rights,
without the benefit of sufficiently illuminating case law, may fail to overcome

the hurdle of qualified immunity, see Lassiter v. Alabama A & M Univ., Bd. of
Trustees, 28 F.3d 1146, 1150 (11th Cir.1994) (en banc); Jenkins, 115 F.3d at
825 n. 3, we have acknowledged the possibility that some federal statutory
provisions will be sufficiently clear on their own to provide defendants with fair
notice of their obligations under the law, see Santamorena v. Georgia Military
College, 147 F.3d 1337, 1340 n. 6 (11th Cir.1998); Lassiter, 28 F.3d at 1150 n.
4.36 Cf. United States v. Lanier, 520 U.S. 259, ----, 117 S.Ct. 1219, 1227, 137
L.Ed.2d 432, ---- ("[G]eneral statements of the law are not inherently incapable
of giving fair and clear warning, and ... may apply with obvious clarity to the
specific conduct in question, even though 'the very action in question has [not]
previously been held unlawful.' ") (quoting Anderson v. Creighton, 483 U.S.
635, 640, 107 S.Ct. 3034, 3039, 97 L.Ed.2d 523 (1987)). Section 3617 provides
just such an explicit statement of what the Fair Housing Act demanded of the
defendant in this case.
40

Section 3617 renders it unlawful to "interfere with any person ... on account of
his having aided or encouraged any other person in the exercise or enjoyment
of ... any right granted or protected by section 3603, 3604, 3605, or 3606 of this
title." Section 3604, in turn, bars racial discrimination in the "terms, conditions,
or privileges of sale or rental of a dwelling, or in the provision of services or
facilities in connection therewith...." 42 U.S.C. 3604(b). Section 3617, read in
conjunction with section 3604, therefore, straightforwardly states the
unsurprising (and presumably uncontroversial) proposition that the Fair
Housing Act prohibits "interfering" with any person because she "aided or
encouraged" another person's exercise of her right to rent property free from
racial discrimination.37 Any reasonable public official, having read the plain
terms of this statute, certainly would have understood that federal law makes it
unlawful to terminate an employee for refusing to discriminate against potential
tenants on the basis of race. To the extent any federal statute, standing alone,
can provide a potential defendant with concrete notice, "that is, truly compel
(not just suggest or allow or raise a question about), the conclusion for every
like-situated, reasonable government agent that what [she] is doing violates
federal law," we believe that section 3617 provides such notice in the
circumstances of this case. Lassiter, 28 F.3d at 1150. Cf. Baggett, 1997 WL
151544, at * 22. 38 Just as generally stated constitutional principles, standing
alone, without materially similar case support, would have provided fair
warning to the Supreme Court's hypothetical welfare officials who sold foster
children into slavery, see Lanier, 520 U.S. at ----, 117 S.Ct. at 1227-28, the
statutory provisions at issue in this case, standing alone, provide fair warning
and thus clearly establish that the Fair Housing Act prohibits firing an
employee for refusing to discriminate against tenants on the basis of race.

41

Alternatively, even if a public official credibly could argue that the language of
the statute provided insufficient notice, its implementing federal regulation,
adopted in 1989, removes all doubt about whether federal law makes it illegal
to fire an employee for refusing to discriminate on the basis of race. As this
regulation pointedly restates, section 3617 prohibits

42
[t]hreatening
an employee or agent with dismissal or an adverse employment action,
or taking such adverse employment action, for any effort to assist a person seeking
access to the sale or rental of a dwelling or seeking access to any residential real
estate-related transaction, because of the race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial
status, or national origin of that person or of any person associated with that person.
43

24 C.F.R. 100.400(c)(3) (codifying Implementation of the Fair Housing

Amendments Act of 1988, 54 Fed.Reg. 3232, 3292 (1989)) (emphasis added).39

44

A public official forfeits qualified immunity by violating the clear command of

a federal regulation that, like section 100.400(c)(3), reinforces a statute and
thus helps to provide the basis for a cause of action. The Supreme Court has
concluded that administrative regulations, in and of themselves, do not provide
sufficient notice to override officials' qualified immunity when the plaintiff
alleges a violation of broadly conceived constitutional rights. See Davis v.
Scherer, 468 U.S. 183, 193-96, 104 S.Ct. 3012, 3018-20, 82 L.Ed.2d 139
(1984); see also Childress v. Small Bus. Admin., 825 F.2d 1550, 1553 (11th
Cir.1987)(quoting Davis, 468 U.S. at 194 n. 12, 104 S.Ct. at 3019 n. 12);
Harbert Int'l, Inc. v. James, 157 F.3d 1271, 1285-86 (11th Cir.1998). As the
Supreme Court explained, because every failure to obey a regulation could
potentially provide the basis for the assertion of a constitutional right--even one
"that was not clearly defined or perhaps not even foreshadowed at the time of
the alleged violation"--the mere breach of a regulation cannot, in itself, defeat a
defendant's qualified immunity. Davis, 468 U.S. at 195, 104 S.Ct. at 3019. The
reason for this rule is obvious given the rationale underlying the qualified
immunity doctrine: public officers should have fair warning of what actions
will expose them to the threat of lawsuits and eventual liability. "[O]fficials can
act without fear of harassing litigation only if they reasonably can anticipate
when their conduct may give rise to liability for damages...." Davis, 468 U.S. at
195, 104 S.Ct. at 3019. Accordingly, we do not expect state officials to be
aware of every regulation that indirectly might give rise to a possible
constitutional claim.

45

As this line of cases expressly acknowledges, however, the logic they employ
does not apply where a statute or regulation specifically creates the plaintiff's
cause of action, because in those instances, government officials are on notice

of the parameters of their exposure to suit and liability. See Davis, 468 U.S. at
194 n. 12, 104 S.Ct. at 3019 n. 12 ("[I]f a statute or regulation does give rise to
a cause of action for damages, clear violation of the statute or regulation
forfeits immunity only with respect to damages caused by that violation.");
Childress, 825 F.2d at 1553 ("[N]either federal nor state officials lose their
immunity by violating the clear command of a statute or regulation ... unless
that statute or regulation provides the basis for the cause of action sued upon.")
(quoting Davis, 468 U.S. at 194 n. 12, 104 S.Ct. at 3019 n. 12); Harbert, 157
F.3d at 1285 (same).40 As the Supreme Court subsequently described its
decision in Davis:Davis, in short, concerned not the authorities a court may
consider in determining qualified immunity, but this entirely discrete question:
Is qualified immunity defeated where a defendant violates any clearly
established duty, including one under state law, or must the clearly established
right be the federal right on which the claim for relief is based? The Court held
the latter.
46

Elder v. Holloway, 510 U.S. 510, 515, 114 S.Ct. 1019, 1023, 127 L.Ed.2d 344
(1994). Thus, where a plaintiff's claim arises under a specific statutory cause of
action, a regulation interpreting that statute can provide sufficient notice to
abrogate a defendant's qualified immunity.41 Gonzalez's claim in this case
asserts, not some general constitutional claim premised on Moran's breach of a
duty established in an administrative regulation, but a specific violation of the
federal statute and regulation under which she brought suit. See R1-15,
Amended Complaint, p 33, at 8 (bringing suit pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 3613).

47

The special concurrence argues that section 100.400(c)(3) "should not be

deemed the source of clearly established law" because no authoritative case has
yet approved it as valid or applied it to a specific set of facts. Special
Concurrence at 1311.42 Moran has conceded, however, "that the validity of
[section] 100.400(c)(3) under Chevron would have been apparent to a
reasonable public official in 1995." Moran Supp. Br. at 5. 43 Moran also should
not have needed a court to explain to her that the regulation applied to the facts
alleged here. The regulation states that section 3617 prohibits dismissing an
employee for "assist[ing] a person seeking access to the ... rental of a dwelling
... because of the race ... of that person or of any person associated with that
person." This language unmistakably instructs that it is illegal to fire an
employee for refusing to discriminate against prospective tenants on the basis
of race.44 Where, as here, a regulation plainly and specifically describes a
public official's behavior, the official is on notice that she is subject to liability
for its violation, and thus, that she will not be able to claim qualified immunity.

48

Accordingly, we hold that sections 3617 and 3604, which were in effect in

1995, truly would have compelled a reasonable public official in Moran's

position to conclude that federal law prohibited firing an employee for refusing
to rent public housing in a racially discriminatory manner. See 42 U.S.C.
3604(b), 3617; see also Jenkins, 115 F.3d at 823. Alternatively, we hold that
section 100.400(c)(3), promulgated under the Fair Housing Act and also in
effect in 1995, compels the same conclusion. Accordingly, we conclude that if
Gonzalez's evidence regarding Moran's conduct and motivation is sufficient to
withstand summary judgement under Rule 56, the conduct would violate
clearly established federal law, and Moran, therefore, would not be entitled to
qualified immunity.45
2.
49

The remaining question is whether the evidence, viewed in the light most
favorable to Gonzalez, indicates that Moran should have known that her actions
violated clearly established prohibitions of the Fair Housing Act. We review
this issue under the framework established in Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S.
317, 322-27, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552-55, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). See supra Part
II.B.

50

In her Amended Complaint, Gonzalez specifically alleged that during her

employment at LCHA, Gonzalez objected to Moran's orders that Gonzalez
deny housing to individuals based on race and that Gonzalez "skip" individuals
on the housing waiting list because of race.46 Gonzalez generally alleged that
Moran violated section 3617 by terminating Gonzalez's employment "in
retaliation of her complaints and refusal to participate in the discriminatory
rental practices of the Defendants."47

51

Gonzalez, of course, bears the burden of demonstrating that Moran should have
known that her actions violated clearly established prohibitions of section 3617.
Thus, under Celotex, Moran may prevail on her summary judgment motion
without bringing forth "affidavits or other similar materials" negating
Gonzalez's claim. See 477 U.S. at 323, 106 S.Ct. at 2553. Nonetheless, Moran
must at least " 'show[ ]'--that is, point[ ] out to the district court--that there is an
absence of evidence to support" Gonzalez's case. See id. at 325, 106 S.Ct. at
2554 (quoting Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 159, 90 S.Ct. 1598,
1609, 26 L.Ed.2d 142 (1970)).

52

We are not convinced that Moran satisfied her initial summary judgment
burden. In her memorandum in support of her motion for summary judgment,
Moran cited no record evidence that would rebut Gonzalez's section 3617
claim, and it is doubtful that Moran "show[ed]" or "point[ed] out" the "absence

of evidence to support" Gonzalez's claim. See Celotex, 477 U.S. at 325, 106
S.Ct. at 2554. For example, in responding to the allegation that Gonzalez
objected to Moran's directive to deny housing based on race,48 Moran simply
asserted that Gonzalez was referring to two white women with black babies and
that these women ultimately did receive LCHA housing.49 Gonzalez, however,
need not show that applicants actually were denied housing based on race,50 but
rather that Moran fired Gonzalez based in significant part on Gonzalez's efforts
to rent public housing in a non-racially discriminatory manner.51 Because
Moran does not even address Gonzalez's claim that Moran terminated
Gonzalez's employment "in retaliation of her complaints and refusal to
participate in the discriminatory rental practices of the Defendants,"52 Moran
appears to have failed to point out the absence of evidence supporting
Gonzalez's claim. See Celotex, 477 U.S. at 325, 106 S.Ct. at 2554.53
53

Even assuming, arguendo, that Moran did meet her Celotex burden, we would
hold that Gonzalez did not "rest upon the mere allegations" of her complaint,
but rather "set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for
trial." Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(e). In her memorandum in opposition to Moran's motion
for summary judgment, Gonzalez relied upon the affidavit that Gonzalez
previously filed in support of her motion for partial summary judgment.54 That
affidavit contained several important pieces of evidence. First, Gonzalez
testified that Moran directed her to engage in actions that, in Gonzalez's view,
violated the anti-discrimination laws that apply to public housing programs.55

54

Second, attached to the affidavit and incorporated by reference therein56 was

the letter written by Gonzalez to Moran on September 28, 1995.57 According to
that letter, Moran complained when Gonzalez attempted to place a white
woman with a black child in a vacant apartment and tried to place an elderly
black man in a vacant unit.58 Of particular note, Gonzalez also stated in the
letter that Gonzalez's refusal to discriminate was a central cause of the
arguments between Moran and Gonzalez.59

55

Third, attached to the affidavit and incorporated by reference therein60 was the
letter written by Gonzalez to Puccio on October 9, 1995.61 In that letter,
Gonzalez stated that during August and September 1995, Gonzalez
"confront[ed]" Moran about the fact that Moran wanted Gonzalez to take
certain actions that violated HUD rules and regulations.62 These confrontations
concerned, inter alia, Moran's desire to discriminate against specific potential
tenants: two white women with black children and an elderly black man.63

56

Gonzalez thus made an affirmative showing that, in the time immediately

preceding Moran's decision to fire her, a serious rift was developing between

Moran and Gonzalez concerning Gonzalez's refusal to comply with Moran's

directives to deny housing to individuals based on race. Indeed, the record
suggests that Gonzalez's refusal to follow Moran's discriminatory directives
was a central cause of the problems between them. Moreover, when Gonzalez,
in the context of a wide-ranging personal complaint about office conditions,
stated in writing that Moran was forcing Gonzalez to discriminate,64 Moran's
displeasure with Gonzalez's recalcitrance probably sharpened even further.
Viewed in the light most favorable to Gonzalez, the evidence thus suggests that
Gonzalez's termination represented the culmination of a long-standing and
intensifying disagreement in which Moran's discriminatory directives played an
important role, and that Moran fired her based in significant part on Gonzalez's
resistance to Moran's discriminatory orders.
57

This inference finds additional support in the termination letter that Moran
herself sent to Gonzalez. As a reason for Gonzalez's termination, the letter cites
Gonzalez's "criticism of orders, rules and policies,"65 and Moran has brought
forth no evidence showing that the phrase "orders, rules and policies" refers to
anything other than Moran's own discriminatory directives.

58

Accordingly, we hold that Gonzalez has brought forth sufficient evidence to

create the reasonable inference that Moran fired her based in significant part on
Gonzalez's efforts to rent public housing in a non-racially discriminatory
manner. Because a reasonable official in Moran's position should have known
that such an action was unlawful, see 42 U.S.C. 3604(b), 3617; 24 C.F.R.
100.400(c)(3), we affirm the district court's decision to deny Moran's motion
for summary judgment on this claim.

V.
59

For the foregoing reasons, we REVERSE the district court's denial of summary
judgment to Moran in her individual capacity as to Gonzalez's section 1983
claim; we AFFIRM the district court's denial of summary judgment to Moran in
her individual capacity as to Gonzalez's section 3617 claim; and we REMAND
the case for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

APPENDIX A
60

Reproduced below, unedited, is the text of Gonzalez's letter to Moran dated

September 28, 1995.66
Dear Ms. Moran

61 1] On Wednesday, September 20, 1995, you called me in your office to insult me

[p
blaming me for all the vacancies LCHA has in all the sites for the past 2 months.
You had told me that I am not doing my job.
62 2] I felt hurt and raised my voice at you, because I could not believe what you
[p
said to me. I have done more than I am supposed to do for this business and
everyone is a witness to that.
63 3] You are the kind of person that whenever things go fine, you are happy, but
[p
when things get a little blurry, you turn into a very critical, and verbally abusive
person.
64 4] In two years that I have been here, I have seen and also received a lot of verbal
[p
abuse along with my co-workers. You had called my co-workers words and names
that I can not even write in this letter.
65 5] It is very sad to say that you have no consideration for your staff. All you know
[p
is to exploit people and then if someone complaints you threaten us we will loose
our jobs, because you happen to be the "Executive Director".
66 6] I suppose you were not happy for what you did to me on September 20, 1995,
[p
on Thursday, September 21, 1995 you had sent me to Charleston Park in Alva and
without even saying a good morning to me, you gave me a letter, a reprimend and
asked me to sign it, which I refused because it is a lie. You also started yelling at me
because I refused to sign the reprimend. You wrote in the reprimend that you will
not tolerate my violent outburst, that I have a problem with language interpretation.
You needed to write in the reprimend that my outburst was provoked by you and you
had also said I have a problem following Rules and Regulations, that is correct too,
but it is because you do not follow Rules and Regulations, you changed them, if it is
not on a daily basis, it is on a weekly basis, which causes so much confusion not
only to me, also to every person in this office.
67 7] You had also said to me that you made me from a Receptionist to a Property
[p
Manager, well I have learned everything on my own, because you had never trained
me or have anyone training me at this job. I had to work my way up all by myself,
learning from my mistakes. If you look at my file when I put an application to work
here, I brought you reference letters from my other jobs. I was not a nobody when I
came to work here. All I have learned from this place is to agravate myself day after
they, because of the things that I see and hear.
68 8] I never know who you will want me to house even if they are next on the
[p
waiting list. If it's a white girl with a black baby, you complain, if we have a
vacancie on the lederly site, you do not want me to put a black person on that site, if
the client has HIV, you complain, if it's a white that has not been in the job for too

long, you do not want me to house them, because it will become a negative rent.
69 9] If you remember, that the times that you and me had argue is because you had
[p
forced me to discriminate, or rip-off people (meaning that if someone moves after
the 5th. of the months, you do not want me to pro-rate the rent and charge them from
the 1st. of the month.)[p 10] You can not keep blaming me for this place starting to
fall apart. You owe all this to yourself, because you are the one that bend the rules
all the time. More examples are, if I give a tenant a violation, which is part of my job
and the tenant does not like it, they come to you and then you will not back me up,
causing for the tenants not to respect my position. Another good example will be last
year when I did the re-certification inspections that I had found Ms. Loretta Huff
with a cat inside the unit. After I mentioned the tenant she needed to get rid of the
pet, she called you and then you called me in your office to tell me to "stay away
from the elderly site". A few months ago you received a complaint from a tenant at
the elderly site about so many cats around, and then you wanted me to take care of
the problem. There are plenty of violation over on that site, but if I try to do my job,
is either you get upset or your good friend Mr. Edward Kross (board member that
you recommended), will come to this office and complaint about me doing my job
and I will be asked to back out.
70 11] Also, when Mr. Willie Christmas, tenant from Charleston Park, Alva took you
[p
to Legal Aid, you told Legal Aid that the eviction was done while you were on
vacation, trying to blame the mistake on me, but what you forgot is that I do not
process evictions unless you order me, and also you were the one that singed all the
paperwork before you left on vacation. Here again, the mistake was made, because
the bookeping department gives the notices for eviction out and then you do not file
thru with them. First tenants have no respect for eviction notices and that is why we
keep loosing money all the time.
71 12] You also drive the company car, and most of the time is not available for the
[p
rest of the staff that do inspections, banck deposits, etc. Libby has to use her car to
do FSS inspections or go to meetings, Sylvia has to use her car to do the bank
deposits, and I have to use my car all the time for inspections and to go to Alva. If I
tell you I need the car to do an inspection, is either you tell me to reschedule for
another day or will give me 10 minutes to come back, which it is impossible. You
get very upset if someone uses the car after 3:00 P.M., because you want the car for
you to leave a 3:30 P.M. most of the time. We do not consider that a company car, it
is your personal car.
72 13] Also, I had reported to you all the complaints we had received of Mr. Richard
[p
Wombwell, the Senior Aide you have at Barrett Park. There are plenty of verbal and
written complaints against Mr. Wombwell about him being unrespectful to tenants,
fresh with the spanish married women, and even denied the use of the LCHA lawn

mower to the tenants he does not like, or timed them with same. You said he was
going to help me with the tenants problems, collecting rent, delivering notices and
rent receipts, give out violations to the tenants, things that he has denied to do, but
on the other hand you had approved a lot of social activities, that he uses LCHA
money to buy refreshments and candy all the time. He also got a brand new TV and
a VCR with LCHA money for entertainment. I reported to you the time Mr.
Wombwell asked me if I could give violations to his "buddies" so they would not
get mad at him. Today, I had to write you a complaint about Mr. Wombwell asking
the bookeeper if I still work for LCHA, which make me think why someone that
does not even work for LCHA, because he is an employee for Dr. Ella Piper, knows
if I am going to be fired or not. On the other hand I heard the bookeeper suplying
him with all the updates about me.
73 14] The communication problems that I have with staff members, maintenance
[p
members, are all caused by you because you are a terrible instigator among all of us
in this office and that is very sad. You had always make us feel we do not worth
anything and nothing is appreciated.
74 15] You keep giving us a miserable raise if any every year, because there is no
[p
money, but then you went ahead and bought yourself a new computer that you
hardly look at it, the TV and VCR for Barrett Park, to keep Mr. Richard Wombwell
happy and also a few more toys.
75 16] Writing this type of letter is not me, but you had pushed me to do it, you had
[p
been very unfair with me and my co-workers and that LCHA could be a wonderful
place to work if things are done the right way and if we could accept our mistakes,
starting with you, instead of putting the blame on somebody else.
76 17] You had also mentioned to some staff members about the money I asked you
[p
to lend me to buy my car and I need to remind you that God is my witness I have
never asked you for that money, because I did not know that well to do something
like that. You offered me that money and told me that I could pay you anyway I
could and I accepted and also wrote my debt to you in a piece of paper that I signed,
compromising myself to give $100.00 every month. I have done this every months,
but since I had a problem this month and could not give you any money this month,
you even called me at my house on Tuesday, September 26, 1995 around 7:00 P.M.
to asked to borrow the money and made me feel real bad. I do not know what kind of
person you think I am, but even that I did not asked for that money, I will pay you
every single dollar you lent me, because I happen to be a decent and grateful person.
Even that this job and you have tried to change me, I'm still a good person inside,
that only fights back when she gets pushed or abused.
[p 18] I will like for you to take some time and think of all the good things and the
77

good atmosphere we could have in this office, instead of creating this miserable
environment.
78 19] The new Job Description you had given me on Tuesday, September 26, 1995,
[p
I will consider it as a revision to the first one you gave me, because I know the
things that you added to it, is because of the argument we had on September 20,
1995, because when you gave me the letter changing my title you never mentioned
about giving me a new job description.
Sincerely,
79
/s/L. Gonzalez
80
Luz N. Gonzalez
Property Manager
cc:
81
82 20] NOTE: I need to mention that when you hired me, it was for Pine Echo
[p
(Family and Elderly sites) and Barrett Park. When you fired Richard Brevick, you
had asked me if I could help you collecting the rent and I even expressed to you that
I will do only that because I knew nothing about Farmers Home Housing, but I
ended doing all the work and now you blamed me for the vacancies overthere too.
That is why you decided to add Charleston Park to the new job description.
BLACK, Circuit Judge, specially concurring:
83

In part IV.B. of the opinion, the Court holds that a government official who
implements a plan to discriminate against black persons in public housing and
fires a subordinate employee for refusing to discriminate pursuant to the plan
has no qualified immunity. I completely agree.1 I write separately because of
the explanation given for today's decision.

84

Part IV.B. of the opinion sets out two alternative bases for finding clearly
established law to overcome qualified immunity: first, the plain language of 42
U.S.C. 3617; and second, the clear command of 24 C.F.R. 100.400(c)(3),
which interprets 42 U.S.C. 3617. Section 3617 is a very general statute and is
not sufficiently fact-specific to satisfy the requirements of Lassiter v. Alabama
A & M Univ., Bd. of Trustees, 28 F.3d 1146, 1149-50 (11th Cir.1994) (en
banc). As this Circuit has made clear, it is the "exceptional case where the
words of a federal statute or federal constitutional provision will be specific
enough to establish the law applicable to particular circumstances clearly and to

overcome qualified immunity even in the absence of case law." Santamorena v.

Georgia Military College, 147 F.3d 1337, 1340 n. 6 (11th Cir.1998) (emphasis
added) (quoting Lassiter, 28 F.3d at 1150 n. 4). Thus, the federal regulation is
the only remaining source of clearly established law. Neither party cited 24
C.F.R. 100.400(c)(3) in the briefs to this Court or the district court. We
requested supplemental briefing as to whether 24 C.F.R. 100.400(c)(3) even
applies to the facts of this case and were not informed of any United States
Supreme Court or Eleventh Circuit case in which 24 C.F.R. 100.400(c)(3) is
mentioned.
85

Even if a regulation can be the basis of clearly established law, neither this
Circuit nor the Supreme Court has ever so held. Moreover, I doubt that a
regulation which on its face purports only to be an executive department's
"interpretation of [unlawful] conduct" can be the basis of clearly established
law.2 In the context of qualified immunity, I believe courts should not give
much weight to executive branch regulations interpreting statutes when the
regulations have not been held by a court to be accurate interpretations. At any
rate, 24 C.F.R. 100.400(c)(3) should not be deemed the source of clearly
established law in this case, where the Court today recognizes its application
for the first time.

86

The purpose of qualified immunity is to protect government officials from

liability for conduct they could not reasonably have known was unlawful.
Much of federal constitutional law and statutory law is unpredictable and
unclear in its application to particular circumstances. Thus, as the Court states,
we require materially similar case law or a very specific statute before saying
that a government official should have known her conduct was unlawful.3
There is no specific pre-existing case law applicable to this case.

87

On the other hand, we have recognized that in the extremely rare case a
government official's conduct may be so egregious, in fact evil, as to be
obviously contrary to federal law, so that no case law or statute needs to have
recognized previously that materially similar conduct is unlawful. The facts
alleged here, if true, make this that extremely rare case. More than a century
after the Civil War and more than a quarter century after the great crusade for
civil rights for black persons in this country, no government housing official
could reasonably believe that she may lawfully discriminate against black
persons on the basis of race, or that she might punish another public official for
refusing to discriminate in the course of her official duties against black persons
on the basis of race.

The district court also granted Moran's motion for summary judgment in her
official capacity and denied Gonzalez's motion for partial summary judgment as
to Gonzalez's contract claim. The sole issue on appeal, however, is whether the
district court erred in denying summary judgment to Moran in her individual
capacity

See R1-20, Plaintiff's Memorandum in Support of Motion for Partial Summary

Judgment, Ex. A, p 5, at 1 ("While I worked at the housing authority, Ms.
Moran directed me to engage in certain job acts that I thought violated the laws
about discrimination [sic] the regulations that apply to the housing programs.
Despite my concerns, I did as she asked because she was my boss.")

See id., Ex. A, Attach. 3, p 8, at 2 ("I never know who you will want me to
house even if they are next on the waiting list. If it's a white girl with a black
baby, you complain, if we have a vacancie on the lederly site, you do not want
me to put a black person on that site ...."); accord R1-33, Memorandum of Law
in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment of Defendant Moran in her
Individual Capacity, Ex. B, p 8, at 2. This letter from Gonzalez to Moran is
reproduced as Appendix A, infra. The quotations from the letter that appear
throughout this opinion are unedited

See App. A, p 9 ("[T]he times that you and me had argue is because you had
forced me to discriminate, or rip-off people....")

See R1-20, Plaintiff's Memorandum in Support of Motion for Partial Summary

Judgment, Ex. A, Attach. 4, at 1

Gonzalez stated:
[F]or about 2 months I have been confronting Ms. Moran on things that she
want me to do and are against HUD rules and regulations and against the
Department of Labor.
The following are only some of those things:
....
7) I had to enforce the authority Ms. Moran gave me, to house two white girls
that came up on the waiting list, but as Ms. Moran opinion they were no good
just because they had babies from black men.
Example: Victoria Fisher--14153 Warner Circle

Chandra Sharp--9831 Poplar Grove Lane

Also had to do the same thing for Mr. Steven Thomas, who lives now at 9750
Feathertree Lane, because Ms. Moran did not want me to put any black person
on the elderly site.
See id., Ex. A, Attach. 4, at 1-2.
7

See App. A, p 1

See id., p 2

See R1-33, Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment

of Defendant Moran in her Individual Capacity, Ex. A, at 1

10

See R1-15, Amended Complaint, p 15, at 5

11

See id., p 16, at 5-6

12

See id., p 17, at 6

13

See App. A, pp 8-9. In addition, on September 29, Gonzalez wrote Moran a

one-page letter in which she complained that another LCHA employee had
been spreading information about Moran's reprimand of Gonzalez. See R1-20,
Plaintiff's Memorandum in Support of Motion for Partial Summary Judgment,
Ex. A, Attach. 2

14

See R1-33, Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment

of Defendant Moran in her Individual Capacity, Ex. D, at 1

15

See R1-20, Plaintiff's Memorandum in Support of Motion for Partial Summary

Judgment, Ex. A, p 10, at 2

16

See id., Ex. A, Attach. 4

17

See R1-15, Amended Complaint, p 34, at 8

18

See id., p 30, at 7-8. Gonzalez also brought these two claims against LCHA and
against Moran in her official capacity. See id., pp 30, 34, at 7-8. Furthermore,
Gonzalez alleged that LCHA and Moran, in her official capacity, breached
Gonzalez's employment contract. See id., p 39, at 9

19

R1-44, Order, at 2. The district court also granted Moran's motion for summary
judgment in her official capacity and denied Gonzalez's motion for partial
summary judgment as to Gonzalez's contract claim. Id

20

Even where a public employee's speech does not touch upon a matter of public
concern, that speech is not "totally beyond the protection of the First
Amendment," Connick, 461 U.S. at 147, 103 S.Ct. at 1690, but "absent the
most unusual circumstances, a federal court is not the appropriate forum in
which to review the wisdom of a personnel decision taken by a public agency
allegedly in reaction to the employee's behavior," id

21

Similarly, we pretermit our review of other instances of Gonzalez's speech

because of the lack of causation evidence required under Mt. Healthy. See 429
U.S. at 287, 97 S.Ct. at 576 (stating that the employee must prove that her
speech played a "substantial" part in the employer's termination decision). No
evidence indicates that Moran, when firing Gonzalez, knew about Gonzalez's
pre-termination conversations with the HUD official and LCHA Board
members. Similarly, Gonzalez's discussions with Puccio on October 4
obviously played no role in Gonzalez's termination on October 2. Thus,
Gonzalez's speech in these instances cannot form the basis of a successful
claim under 1983. See Hughes v. Bedsole, 48 F.3d 1376, 1386 (4th Cir.1995)
(pretermitting review of 1983 free speech claim based on lack of causation
evidence)

22

In Connick, Assistant District Attorney Myers opposed District Attorney

Connick's decision to transfer her. See 461 U.S. at 140-41, 103 S.Ct. at 1686.
As a result of her discontent, Myers prepared and circulated to other assistant
district attorneys a questionnaire concerning office transfer policy, office
morale, the need for a grievance committee, the level of confidence in
supervisors, and whether employees felt pressured to work in political
campaigns. See id. at 141, 103 S.Ct. at 1687. Connick then terminated Myers.
See id
The Connick Court analyzed each of the questions in the questionnaire
separately. Most of the questions were not "of public import in evaluating the
performance of the District Attorney as an elected official," 461 U.S. at 148,
103 S.Ct. at 1690, but simply "reflect[ed] one employee's dissatisfaction with a
transfer and an attempt to turn that displeasure into a cause celebre," id. at 148,
103 S.Ct. at 1691. The Court, however, held that the question concerning
whether assistant district attorneys felt pressured to work in political campaigns
did touch upon a matter of public concern in light of: (1) the constitutional
guarantees protecting employees from having to work for political candidates
not of their own choice; and (2) the "demonstrated interest in this country that
government service should depend upon meritorious performance rather than
political service." Id. at 149, 103 S.Ct. at 1691.
The Connick Court thus held that the public concern requirement was satisfied

even though Myers did not publicize the questionnaire and even though no
evidence indicated that the public, at the time Myers circulated the
questionnaire, knew about the District Attorney's unlawful practice of
pressuring his employees to work on political campaigns. We reject Moran's
contention that Peterson v. Atlanta Hous. Auth., 998 F.2d 904 (11th Cir.1993),
indicates a contrary rule. Although Peterson's inter-office speech did concern an
issue that had received media scrutiny, see id. at 916, the court specifically
noted that public awareness of the problem was not necessary to satisfy the
public concern requirement, see id. at 917 n. 25; see also Morgan v. Ford, 6
F.3d 750, 754 n. 5 (11th Cir.1993) ("[A] court cannot determine that an
utterance is not a matter of public concern solely because the employee does
not air the concerns to the public."); Deremo v. Watkins, 939 F.2d 908, 911 n. 3
(11th Cir.1991) (stating that an employee's effort to communicate her concerns
to the public is a relevant, but not dispositive, element in the public concern
analysis).
23

See, e.g., App. A, p 3 ("[W]hen things get a little blurry, you turn into a very
critical, and verbally abusive person."); id., p 4 ("I have seen and also received a
lot of verbal abuse along with my co-workers."); id., p 5 ("[Y]ou have no
consideration for your staff."); id., p 14 ("[Y]ou are a terrible instigator among
all of us in this office ...."); id., p 15 (stating that Moran only gives "miserable
raise[s]"); id., p 16 (criticizing Moran for blaming others for her own mistakes);
id., p 18 (blaming Moran for "creating this miserable environment")

24

See App. A, pp 7-9

25

See App. A, pp 7-8 (stating that Gonzalez becomes aggravated at work and
cannot predict whether Moran will want to rent to certain tenants); id., p 8
(stating that Moran complains to Gonzalez when Gonzalez rents in a nondiscriminatory manner); id., p 9 (stating that Moran and Gonzalez argue when
Moran forces Gonzalez to break the rules)
This portion of the letter thus differs from the element of the employee's speech
in Connick that satisfied the public concern requirement. See 461 U.S. at 149,
103 S.Ct. at 1691. Even though Myers circulated the questionnaire as a result of
her employment grievance, the actual question about whether assistant district
attorneys were forced to work on political campaigns did not refer explicitly to
Myers's self-interest.

26

See, e.g., id., p 6 ("[Y]ou do not follow Rules and Regulations ..., which causes
so much confusion not only to me, also to every person in this office."); id., p
10 ("You can not keep blaming me for this place starting to fall apart. You owe
all this to yourself, because you are the one that bend the rules all the time.");

id., p 19 (stating that Moran creates a "miserable environment" in the office)

27

In Pearson, a hospital nurse alleged that her employer violated 1983 by

discharging her for comments she made about her supervisors' assignment of
cleaning responsibilities and about operating room cleanliness. See id. at 127677. In holding that her comments did not satisfy the public concern
requirement, we explained:
Pearson's complaints primarily pertained to the assignment of cleaning
responsibilities in the O.R. and the allocation of blame among the nurses
responsible for O.R. conditions on those occasions when cleaning duties were
neglected. It was only incident to speaking on these concerns that appellant's
remarks touched on conditions that might be potentially hazardous to patients.
Appellant's complaints, furthermore, were in large measure conveyed in light of
a reprimand, still fresh, which appellant believed unfairly attributed
responsibility to her for poor O.R. conditions. In essence, Pearson's comments
concerned the circumstances of her own employment.
Id. at 1278-79.

28

R1-15, Amended Complaint at 7-8, p 30

29

This jurisprudence is not directly applicable here because Gonzalez brought her
Fair Housing Act claim under 42 U.S.C. 3617 and 3613, not under 42 U.S.C.
1983

30

The Supreme Court's reasoning in subsequent cases confirms its analysis in

Scheuer. For example, in Owen v. City of Independence, 445 U.S. 622, 638,
100 S.Ct. 1398, 1409, 63 L.Ed.2d 673 (1980), the Court stated: "Where the
immunity claimed by the defendant was well established at common law at the
time 1983 was enacted, and where its rationale was compatible with the
purposes of the Civil Rights Act, we have construed the statute to incorporate
that immunity." Likewise, in City of Newport v. Fact Concerts, Inc., 453 U.S.
247, 101 S.Ct. 2748, 69 L.Ed.2d 616 (1981), the Court held that municipalities
are immune from punitive damages in actions brought under 1983 because:
(1) municipalities enjoyed that immunity at common law, see id. at 259-63, 101
S.Ct. at 2756-58; (2) neither the language nor legislative history of 1983
demonstrates Congress's intent to abolish that immunity, see id. at 263-66, 101
S.Ct. at 2758-59; and (3) such immunity is compatible with the policy goals of
1983, see id. at 266-71, 101 S.Ct. at 2759-62

31

The fact that 3617 is silent as to qualified immunity indicates that Congress
did not intend to preclude the common-law qualified immunity defense in
3617 actions. Cf. Buckley v. Fitzsimmons, 509 U.S. 259, 268, 113 S.Ct. 2606,

2613, 125 L.Ed.2d 209 (1993) ("Certain immunities were so well established in
1871, when 1983 was enacted, that we presume that Congress would have
specifically so provided had it wished to abolish them.") (internal quotation
omitted); Fact Concerts, 453 U.S. at 258, 101 S.Ct. at 2755 ("One important
assumption underlying the Court's decisions in this area is that members of the
42d Congress were familiar with common-law principles, including defenses
previously recognized in ordinary tort litigation, and that they likely intended
these common-law principles to obtain, absent specific provisions to the
contrary.")
32

The substance of 3617: (1) appeared in the amendment to H.R. 2516 that was
introduced and later tabled by Senators Mondale and Brooks, see 114 Cong.
Rec. at 2270; (2) was included in Senator Dirksen's approved substitute
amendment to H.R. 2516, see 114 Cong. Rec. at 4573; and (3) was part of the
bills passed by the Senate, see id. at 5992, and the House of Representatives,
see id. at 9621; see also Pub.L. 90-284, Title VIII, 817, 82 Stat. 89 (1968). No
aspect of the legislative history suggests that Congress intended to deprive
public officials of the ability to assert a qualified immunity defense in a 3617
action. See, e.g., S.Rep. No. 721 (1968), reprinted in 1968 U.S.C.C.A.N. 1837
(concerning relevant public law, but not addressing 3617)

33

See Harlow v. Fitzgerald, 457 U.S. 800, 814, 102 S.Ct. 2727, 2736, 73 L.Ed.2d
396 (1982) (stating that qualified immunity is necessary to avoid "the expenses
of litigation, the diversion of official energy from pressing public issues, and
the deterrence of able citizens from acceptance of public office")

34

See Lussier v. Dugger, 904 F.2d 661, 663-64, 670 n. 10 (11th Cir.1990) (the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973); see also Cullinan v. Abramson, 128 F.3d 301, 30712 (6th Cir.1997) (the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act),
cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 118 S.Ct. 1560, 140 L.Ed.2d 792 (1998); Torcasio v.
Murray, 57 F.3d 1340, 1343 (4th Cir.1995) (the Americans with Disabilities
Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973); Lue v. Moore, 43 F.3d 1203, 1205
(8th Cir.1994) (the Rehabilitation Act of 1973); McGregor v. Louisiana State
Univ. Bd. of Supervisors, 3 F.3d 850, 862 & n. 19 (5th Cir.1993) (the
Rehabiliation Act of 1973); Cronen v. Texas Dep't of Human Servs., 977 F.2d
934, 939-40 (5th Cir.1992) (Food Stamp Act of 1977); Doe v. Attorney
General, 941 F.2d 780, 797-99 (9th Cir.1991) (the Rehabilitation Act of 1973);
Christopher P. by Norma P. v. Marcus, 915 F.2d 794, 798-801 (2d Cir.1990)
(the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975); P.C. v.
McLaughlin, 913 F.2d 1033, 1040-42 (2d Cir.1990) (the Education for All
Handicapped Children Act of 1975 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973);
Affiliated Capital Corp. v. City of Houston, 735 F.2d 1555, 1569-70 (5th
Cir.1984) (the Sherman Antitrust Act); National Black Police Ass'n v. Velde,

712 F.2d 569, 574-80 (D.C.Cir.1983) (Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
and the Crime Control Act of 1973). But see Samuel v. Holmes, 138 F.3d 173,
178 (5th Cir.1998) (holding that qualified immunity is not an available defense
in retaliation claims brought under the False Claims Act). We stress, however,
that our opinion in this case should not be construed to address whether
qualified immunity is available in actions brought under statutes other than
3617
35

In Burrell, this court held that a public official sued in an individual capacity
under 42 U.S.C. 1985(3) may not assert a defense of qualified immunity. The
court reasoned:
Unlike in section 1983 actions, public officials ... will not be subject to liability
under section 1985(3) unless their actions were motivated by "some racial, or
perhaps otherwise class-based, invidiously discriminatory animus." ... We hold
that this additional safeguard obviates the need for granting public officials
qualified immunity in section 1985(3) actions.
970 F.2d at 794. Because section 3617, like 42 U.S.C. 1985(3), requires a
showing of discriminatory intent, see Sofarelli v. Pinellas County, 931 F.2d
718, 722-23 (11th Cir.1991), Burrell might suggest that the qualified immunity
defense is not available in a 3617 action.
For several reasons, we decline to extend Burrell 's holding to section 3617
actions. Initially, we note that this court has not extended Burrell to 42 U.S.C.
1981 actions even though 1981, under General Building Contractors Ass'n v.
Pennsylvania, 458 U.S. 375, 386-91, 102 S.Ct. 3141, 3147-50, 73 L.Ed.2d 835
(1982), requires a showing of purposeful discrimination. See Johnson v. City of
Fort Lauderdale, 126 F.3d 1372, 1379-80 (11th Cir.1997) (holding that
defendant officials were entitled to qualified immunity on 1981 claim but,
under Burrell, could not assert qualified immunity on 1985(3) claim). In light
of the Johnson court's implicit decision to limit Burrell, we hesitate to extend
Burrell here.
Furthermore, our research reveals no case other than Burrell in which a court of
appeals or the Supreme Court has barred the qualified immunity defense on the
ground that the statute creating liability requires a showing of discriminatory
intent. In other circuits, for example, public officials may assert the qualified
immunity defense in a 1985(3) action. See Southard v. Texas Bd. of Criminal
Justice, 114 F.3d 539, 555 (5th Cir.1997); Brown v. City of Oneonta, N.Y.,
Police Dep't, 106 F.3d 1125, 1133 (2d Cir.1997); Vaughn v. U.S. Small
Business Admin., 65 F.3d 1322, 1324-30 (6th Cir.1995); Simmons v. Poe, 47
F.3d 1370, 1376-78 (4th Cir.1995); Bisbee v. Bey, 39 F.3d 1096, 1101-02 (10th

Cir.1994); Howard v. Suskie, 26 F.3d 84, 87 (8th Cir.1994); Prokey v. Watkins,

942 F.2d 67, 71-74 (1st Cir.1991); Auriemma v. Rice, 910 F.2d 1449, 1457-59
(7th Cir.1990); Hobson v. Wilson, 737 F.2d 1, 24 (D.C.Cir.1984).
Finally, although we do not question Burrell 's result, we are not convinced of
one of its premises. Contrary to the Burrell court's statement that plaintiffs in
1983 actions need not demonstrate discriminatory intent, see 970 F.2d at 79394, discriminatory intent is a requisite element of 1983 claims based on equal
protection, see Mencer v. Hammonds, 134 F.3d 1066, 1070 (11th Cir.), cert.
denied, --- U.S. ----, 119 S.Ct. 445, --- L.Ed.2d ---- (1998); see also Edwards v.
Wallace Community College, 49 F.3d 1517, 1524 (11th Cir.1995) ("[A]lthough
intent is irrelevant for a qualified immunity inquiry per se, it is relevant if intent
is an element of the underlying alleged constitutional violation.") (citations
omitted). For all of these reasons, we decline to extend Burrell 's holding to
3617 actions.
36

See also Hansen v. Soldenwagner, 19 F.3d 573, 575 (11th Cir.1994) ("Preexisting law--whether it be case law or statutory law--must be available to
instruct in a concrete way the government agent, given the circumstances.");
Leeks v. Cunningham, 997 F.2d 1330, 1333 (11th Cir.1993) (determining
whether clear "statutory or case law" existed at the time of the defendant's
actions); accord Samaritan Inns, 114 F.3d at 1239 (affirming the district court,
which had ruled, without relying on materially similar pre-existing case law,
that the defendants did not have qualified immunity in a 3617 case)

37

Sofarelli, 931 F.2d at 722-23, confirms that 3617 permits a plaintiff to sue
public officials who interfere with the plaintiff's efforts to provide housing on a
race neutral basis as long as the plaintiff can allege and establish that race
played some role in the defendant's conduct. See also Baytree of Inverrary
Realty Partners v. City of Lauderhill, 873 F.2d 1407, 1409 (11th Cir.1989)
(stating that non-minority developers have standing to assert 3617 claims
against local government officials). Even though Sofarelli probably raises a
question about the legality of Moran's alleged conduct in this case, because
Sofarelli involved different facts, it alone cannot, under our precedent, clearly
establish the relevant pre-existing law because it would not compel the
conclusion that firing an employee for failing to discriminate against tenants on
the basis of race violates the law. See Lassiter, 28 F.3d at 1150

38

The district court in Baggett considered whether 3604 and 3617, standing
alone, without the benefit of illuminating case law, sufficiently had established
the relevant pre-existing law to permit the plaintiffs to overcome the
defendants' assertion of qualified immunity, as contemplated in Lassiter.
Baggett, 1997 WL 151544, at * 22. The court explained that, in light of the

statute, "no competent government agent reasonably could believe that truly
egregious acts of discrimination ... would not violate federal law," but
concluded that because the plaintiffs' claims posed a "sophisticated legal issue"
the defendants remained immune. Id. Gonzalez's claims in this case, however,
present no such complications. Gonzalez has alleged and offered evidence that
Moran fired her because Gonzalez refused to discriminate against tenants on the
basis of race, precisely the type of egregious discrimination that the plain
language of the statute warns against and that the Baggett court explained no
competent official could reasonably claim federal law permitted. Finally, and to
avoid confusion, we do not cite Baggett as a case that clearly establishes the
law on this point; our precedent firmly states that a district court opinion cannot
accomplish that result, see Jenkins, 115 F.3d at 826 n. 4. We cite the case only
as a persuasive illustration that the provisions at issue here, standing alone,
clearly establish the law in a case alleging conduct so plainly at odds with the
statutes
39

Although Gonzalez herself did not cite 100.400(c)(3) before the district court
or initially on appeal, we must evaluate the clearly defined scope of 3617 sua
sponte, regardless of whether the implementing regulation was proffered as
relevant legal authority. In Elder v. Holloway, 975 F.2d 1388 (9th Cir.1991),
rev'd, 510 U.S. 510, 114 S.Ct. 1019, 127 L.Ed.2d 344 (1994), the plaintiff in a
1983 action appealed the district court's determination that the defendants
were entitled to qualified immunity. The plaintiff failed to inform either the
district court or the Ninth Circuit of factually similar pre-existing case law that
indicated the illegality of the defendants' actions. See id. at 1390. Although the
Ninth Circuit noted that a pre-existing case appeared to proscribe defendants'
actions, see id. at 1391, the court held that a plaintiff may not benefit on appeal
from precedent that neither he nor the district court cited. See id. at 1394-96.
The Supreme Court reversed, holding that an appellate court is required to
determine the clearly established law sua sponte, based on "its 'full knowledge
of its own [and other relevant] precedents,' " 510 U.S. at 516, 114 S.Ct. at 1023
(citing Davis v. Scherer, 468 U.S. 183, 192 n. 9, 104 S.Ct. 3012, 3018 n. 9, 82
L.Ed.2d 139 (1984)) (brackets in Elder). Accordingly, we must determine the
clearly established contours of 3617 sua sponte

40

See also W.B. v. Matula, 67 F.3d 484, 500-01 (3d Cir.1995) (examining
regulations to determine parameters of clearly established law); Torcasio v.
Murray, 57 F.3d 1340, 1350-52 (4th Cir.1995) (stating that administrative
guidelines "may provide some evidence that it is ... established that the ADA
applies to state prisons"); Doe by and through Doe v. Petaluma City Sch. Dist.,
54 F.3d 1447, 1452 (9th Cir.1995) ("[A]n obligation to act might arise from
something other than decisional law, such as a regulation or policy that an
official is legally bound to follow.")

41

This holding is consistent with the principle that individuals presumptively

have notice of their legal duties under federal regulations. See, e.g., Heckler v.
Community Health Servs. of Crawford County, Inc., 467 U.S. 51, 65-66, 104
S.Ct. 2218, 2227, 81 L.Ed.2d 42 (1984) ("[T]he regulations governing the cost
reimbursement provisions of Medicare should and did put respondent on ample
notice of the care with which its cost reports must be prepared...."); Ed Taylor
Constr. Co. v. Occupational Safety & Health Review Comm'n, 938 F.2d 1265,
1272 (11th Cir.1991) (holding that OSHA regulation placed employers on
notice of federal construction requirement; stating that "[w]hether or not
employers are in fact aware of each OSHA regulation and fully understand it,
they are charged with this knowledge and are responsible for compliance")

42

The special concurrence also expresses "doubt that a regulation which on its
face purports only to be an executive department's 'interpretation of [unlawful]
conduct' can be the basis of clearly established law." Special Concurrence at
1311. The regulation at issue in this case, however, is more than a mere
interpretation: it is binding law. See King v. Housing Auth., 670 F.2d 952, 954
(11th Cir.1982) (holding that HUD has the authority to promulgate binding
regulations) (citing statute under which 100.400 promulgated); 24 C.F.R.
100.400(c) ("Conduct made unlawful under [ 3617] includes, but is not limited
to, the following: [listing types of unlawful conduct].") (emphasis added)

43

Indeed, 100.400(c)(3) was patently valid because a reasonable public official

would have no reason to believe that 100.400(c)(3) represents an
impermissible construction of 3617 or is contrary to clearly expressed
Congressional intent. See Chevron, U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense
Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837, 842-43, 104 S.Ct. 2778, 2781-82, 81 L.Ed.2d 694
(1984)

44

In fact, Moran's Supplemental Brief all but abandons any attempt to argue that
the regulation is ambiguous. Instead, Moran argues that the regulation does not
clearly establish that the Fair Housing Act prevents a public official from firing
an employee for any reason or for insubordination. See Moran's Supp. Br. at 56. This argument misses the point. As long as Gonzalez presents evidence in
support of her allegation that Moran fired her for refusing to engage in racial
discrimination, and that evidence is sufficient to survive a motion for summary
judgment, see infra Part IV.B.2, Moran's actual motivation for firing Gonzalez
presents classic questions of fact and credibility that the jury will have to
resolve. For purposes of resolving the issue of qualified immunity at the
summary judgment stage of the case, we must view the evidence in the light
most favorable to Gonzalez and determine whether her allegations, if true,
would violate clearly established law

45

The special concurrence advances the attractive proposition that since the Civil
War and the more recent "great crusade for civil rights," racial discrimination in
rental practices is so inherently evil as to bar an assertion of qualified immunity
without the need for supporting case law or legislation. Special Concurrence at
1311. Certainly, we agree that racial discrimination, in any context, is evil and
wish that the concept was as universally acknowledged and readily accepted as
the special concurrence suggests. Regrettably however, in the years since the
Civil War and the adoption of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth
Amendments, the recognition of equality in all aspects of life has neither been
axiomatic nor obvious, see, e.g., Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537, 16 S.Ct.
1138, 41 L.Ed. 256 (1896) (establishing the separate but equal doctrine almost
30 years after the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment), but has emerged
only gradually, see, e.g., Brown v. Board of Educ., 347 U.S. 483, 74 S.Ct. 686,
98 L.Ed. 873 (1954) (striking down segregation in public schools more than 80
years after the Fourteenth Amendment); Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1, 87
S.Ct. 1817, 18 L.Ed.2d 1010 (1967) (striking down--only 30 years ago--a
statute that criminalized interracial marriage). Indeed, Congress has recognized
the continuing need for legislation to eradicate the cancer of racial
discrimination by enacting measures such as the Voting Rights Act, Title VII,
and, in this context, the Fair Housing Act
We also have no quarrel with the special concurrence's observation that, in the
appropriate case, a government official's conduct might be so egregious that the
violation of federal law is obvious, even in the absence of case law or
legislation recognizing the illegality of materially similar acts; deference to the
Supreme Court's holdings requires nothing less. See Lanier, 520 U.S. at ----,
117 S.Ct. at 1225-26. Unlike the conduct at issue in Lanier, which was so
repugnant that it had escaped prior contemplation in the relevant sources of
authority, the conduct in this case is both outrageous and specifically addressed
in the Fair Housing Act. Standing alone, or as further clarified by regulation 24
C.F.R. 100.400(c)(3), the Fair Housing Act "stake[s] out a bright line" such
that the law prohibiting racial discrimination in rental practices was clearly
established in the "concrete and factually defined context" we required in
Lassiter, 28 F.3d at 1149-50. As a result, Moran's assertion of qualified
immunity must fail, and we need not consider this additional teaching of Lanier.

46

See R1-15, Amended Complaint, p 1, at 1-2; id., pp 11-12, at 5

47

Id., p 30, at 7-8

48

See id., p 1, at 1; id., p 11, at 5

49

See R1-33, Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment

of Defendant Moran in her Individual Capacity, at 8

50

Indeed, if Gonzalez successfully thwarted Moran's intent to deny housing based

on race, as would be consistent with Moran's assertion, then Gonzalez
obviously made an "effort to assist a person seeking access to the ... rental of a
dwelling," 24 C.F.R. 100.400(c)(3), and thus Gonzalez enjoyed the
protections of 3617

51

See supra Part IV.B.1

52

R1-15, Amended Complaint, p 30, at 7-8

53

Similarly, Moran did not respond effectively to the allegation that Gonzalez
resisted Moran's orders to "skip" individuals on the housing waiting list
because of race. See id., p 12, at 5. Moran simply contended that this allegation
was "founded upon a single instance in which defendant Moran purportedly
told the plaintiff not to offer low-income housing to an individual who was felt
to be suffering from a mental disorder." R1-33, Memorandum of Law in
Support of Motion for Summary Judgment of Defendant Moran in her
Individual Capacity, at 8
Section 3617, however, prohibits interference with the housing rights of the
mentally disabled. See 24 C.F.R. 100.400(c)(3) (stating that 3617 prohibits
the dismissal of an employee based on the employee's effort to provide rental
housing to a person with a handicap); see also 42 U.S.C. 3617 (prohibiting
interference with efforts to assist others in enjoying rights established under
3604); 42 U.S.C. 3604(f) (prohibiting discrimination based on renter's
handicap); 42 U.S.C. 3602(h)(1),(3) (defining handicapped person as person
with substantially limiting mental impairment or person regarded as such).
Because Moran did not dispute that Gonzalez resisted Moran's orders to "skip"
individuals on the housing waiting list, Moran's admission that she ordered
Gonzalez to skip an individual based on that person's mental condition tends to
support, rather than refute, Gonzalez's claim that Moran fired her "in retaliation
of her complaints and refusal to participate in the discriminatory rental practices
of the Defendants." R1-15, Amended Complaint, p 30, at 7-8.

54

See R1-37, Plaintiff's Memorandum in Opposition to Defendant Moran's

Motions for Summary Judgment, at 3 ("The facts, as relied upon by the Court
for the purposes of these motions, should be as they have been presented by the
Plaintiff in her Amended Complaint and the Affidavit attached to 'Plaintiff's
Memorandum in Support of Motion for Partial Summary Judgment' ....")
(footnote omitted)

55

See R1-20, Plaintiff's Memorandum in Support of Motion for Partial Summary

Judgment, Ex. A, p 5, at 1
56

See id., Ex. A, p 8, at 1 ("A copy of my letter is attached to and incorporated

into this Affidavit. It is marked as Attachment 3.")

57

See App. A

58

See App. A, p 8

59

See App. A, p 9

60

See R1-20, Plaintiff's Memorandum in Support of Motion for Partial Summary

Judgment, Ex. A, p 11, at 2 ("A copy of my [October 9] letter [to Puccio] is
attached to and incorporated into this Affidavit. It is marked as Attachment 4.")

61

See id., Ex. A, Attach. 4

62

See id., Ex. A, Attach. 4, at 1

63

See id., Ex. A, Attach. 4, at 2

64

See App. A, p 9 ("[T]he times that you and me had argue is because you had
forced me to discriminate, or rip-off people ...."); see also id., p 8 ("I never
know who you will want me to house even if they are next on the waiting list.
If it's a white girl with a black baby, you complain, if we have a vacancie on
the lederly site, you do not want me to put a black person on that site....")

65

See R1-33, Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment

of Defendant Moran in her Individual Capacity, Ex. D, at 1

66

See R1-20, Plaintiff's Memorandum in Support of Motion for Partial Summary

Judgment, Ex. A, Attach. 3; R1-33, Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion
for Summary Judgment of Defendant Moran in her Individual Capacity, Ex. B

I also concur with the majority in parts I, II, III, and IV.A. of the opinion

The regulation "provides the Department's interpretation of the conduct that is

unlawful under section 818 of the Fair Housing Act." 24 C.F.R. 100.400(a)

See Opinion at 1301 ("Ordinarily, a plaintiff who seeks to overcome a state

official's affirmative defense of qualified immunity must cite case law, in force
at the time of the defendant's actions, that would have made it absolutely clear
that the defendant's conduct violated federal law [and] we have acknowledged
the possibility that some federal statutory provisions will be sufficiently clear
on their own to provide defendants with fair notice of their obligations under

the law.")